MAIGRET mysteries

Anyone familiar with this Brit TV series?

I hadn't heard of it before, but got a few shows, one of which I've viewed and thought it a nice change of pace.

The shows I have are from 1992. I think it only lasted for two seasons.

Bruce R

Hi I assume this is the series with Michael Gambon? I have the DVD set and, although I have not watched them for some time, I believe there are 12 episodes. Anyway, I found them well done and very faithful to the original novels -- very atmospheric and highly recommended. Chris.

Yes, it's the series with Michael Gambon.

Nice to know that they're faithful to the original novels.

Agree on atmosphere and the recommendation.

Bruce R

Been registered for a while but never posted.

Just recently they re released the Maigret series done in France with Bruno Cremmer as Maigret.

English subs.

In my estimation worth a watch as I find them excellent.

The Maigret series that should be put to dvd(in English) is the 60's series starring Rupert Davies.

BBC supposedly has the series in their archives. Available at the moment in German only with no English subs.

Remember watching this series on CBC in Canada.

Wayne

Thanks for posting!

I have the 1992 MAIGRET:  THE COLLECTION starring Michael Gambon.  Total of 482 minutes.

And I also have (but have not viewed) a 1958 MAIGRET END UN PIEGE (US:  MAIGRET LAYS A TRAP) starring Jean Gabin.  Rated 7.0 on IMDb.  A review of it says it's one of the best-ever Maigrets.  Evidently Gabin played Maigret three times throughout the 50s.  When released in the US the movie was re-titled WOMAN-BAIT (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050669/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1).

I'd totally forgotten about this one and will have to dig it out.  Thanks for the reminder.  I always enjoy Jean Gabin.

Bruce R

I finally got to see "Maigret Lays a Trap" but the English subtitles that I downloaded got messed up and I spent some time fixing them up (about the same amount of time as the 2 hour running time of the movie ?). Unfortunately, I prematurely saw who the killer was when I skipped to the end of the movie to fix up the last subtitle. So for me it was like watching an inverted mystery (like watching a Columbo).

Jean Gabin is very believable as the ageing inspector who is close to giving up and going into retirement when eveything he's tried so far to capture a serial killer has failed. What is especially puzzling to him is how the killer managed to escape a police cordon that encircled the "kill zone" after the killer unsuccessfully tried to attack a "police woman" pretending to be a potential victim (ps. Maigret explains to everyone that the "bait" for his trap are actually police station secretaries ... perhaps the French police force didn't encourage women to become Police officers in those days ?).

Minor plot "head scratching" aside, I thought all the clues were revealed to us in a convincing manner, although I'm still not completely happy with how one of Maigret's assistants "broke the case" by relentlessly pursuing someone in the crowd of onlookers who "acted suspiciously" during the crime re-enactment (ps. Maigret instructed all his assistants to watch for and follow anyone who acted suspiciously). It just so happens that in this particular instance it fortuitously led Maigret to the right suspect(s).

I should mention that the movie is noticeably confined to movie studio sets or backlot recreations of streets in Paris and it doesn't include any location filming even though the movie is set in contemporary times, however, this really didn't bother me or affect my enjoyment of the movie. I'd rate the movie as "Worthy of a look" (IMDB's 7.0 is about right) but I'm not sure if I'd go as far as to highly recommend it.

Has anyone seen the new BBC Maigret mysteries with Rowan Atkinson (yes he of the Black Adder and Mr. Bean series!)? We have watched the first two streaming from Britbox based on the Simeon novels. As I recall the episodes are: Maigret Sets a Trap and Maigret's Dead Man. They are extremely well done and Atkinson is very good. Highly recommended.

Rowan Aitkinson as Mr Bean and Black Adder isn't as well known to US audiences although some may remember him in supporting roles in UK comedy movies like "Four Weddings and a Funeral"... I'm not sure if his "Johnny English" spy spoof movies were successful outside of the UK. Anyway, it's mainly viewers in the ex-British colonies (Canada, Australia etc) that have to get over his indelible comedic TV image to enjoy his more recent serious roles. Sorry, unfortunately, I haven't watched any of his 4 Maigret mysteries yet even though my (Australian) national broadcaster regularly shows them. I've been a bit "put off"  by some of the UK Agatha Christie adaptations where the writers have decided to change things from the original stories ... even to make someone else the murderer ! ... not that it hasn't happened before on other movie/TV adaptations. Also, I'm not that keen on the BBC Father Brown mysteries either. But, it's good to know that you've recommended Maigret so I'll give them a chance.

The Maigret Sets a Trap with Atkinson is based on the same story as the one you described above but it does not have the plot item where the case is broken by the suspicious man...rather (and I have not read or cannot remember as I read it so long ago,  the original Simeon novel so do not know if this is new plot invention by the screen writer) there is a clue found at that scene of the attack on the policewoman (not a police secretary in this one) that when followed up leads to the culprit. Both I have seen are good but the second one, Maigret's Dead Man, was the better of the two in my view. Pretty gritty and John Light (featured as Flambeau in the Father Brown's you do not seem to like), is nasty as the villain.

I finally watched Rowan Atkinson's 2016 version of "Maigret Sets a Trap". Yes it's very good although I thought the mystery in the storyline was a lot less complicated (or perhaps less convoluted ?) than the storyline of the Jean Gabin movie ... eg. in the Gabin movie, Maigret spent more time figuring out how the killer was able to evade the police cordon but none of that story element was ever mentioned in the Atkinson version.
As is the case with other ITV / BBC "period dramas", they managed to recreate a convincing version of 1950s Paris using Budapest as a suitable stand-in. I also liked Atkinson in the title role.